Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (22 September 1835-8 June 1905) was Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen from 1885 to 1905. A member of the Catholic branch of the House of Hohenzollern of Prussia, he was the brother of Carol I of Romania and father of Ferdinand I of Romania, but his chance to gain the throne of Spain was objected to by France.

Biography
Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was the son of Karl Anton von Hohenzollern and Princess Josephine of Baden. Leopold was a member of the Catholic branch of the House of Hohenzollern, which ruled the kingdom of Prussia. His brothers Karl and Ferdinand were later made kings of Romania, and in 1868 he was offered the throne of Spain, as he was a Catholic. However, France objected to this move, because if Prussia and Spain allied, they could conquer France and spread Hohenzollern influence throughout Europe.

Forced to decline the offer, he married Antonia of Portugal and had three children: one of them included the future Ferdinand I of Romania. He declined a role in the succession to Romania, letting his sons become future kings. He died in 1905 in Berlin, capital of the German Empire.